Will Nashville's Tommy Novak Stay or Go?

The Nashville Predators must figure out what to do with UFA Tommy Novak, and the 26-year-old center isn't making it an easy decision for Barry Trotz.

Barry Trotz may be busy answering phone calls about big names like Juuse Saros ahead of the trade deadline, but with eight unrestricted free agents on the roster, there is plenty to keep Nashville's GM busy. One player's future that Trotz must wrestle with is that of Tommy Novak. 

Although he's 26 years old, Novak is a player often lumped together when talking about the Predators potential future. Novak has more NHL experience than players like Luke Evangelista but his ceiling may still be as hard to pinpoint as the younger players like Evangelista or Admirals stars Joakim Kemell, Zachary L'Heureux, and Egor Afanasyev. 

This season was going to be a "prove it" season for Novak after joining the Predators in mid-December 2022 and played 51 games in gold.  In 2022-2023 he scored 17 goals and 42 points and was a name mentioned as the team looked ahead to a reset under new GM Trtoz and new head coach Andrew Brunette.

The 2023-2024 season hasn't been linear for Novak. An upper body injury sidelined him for eleven games in November, and he has struggled to get back to form upon his return. Things seem to be turning around for Novak recently. He has four goals and five points in his last five games, and he is making Barry Trotz think not only about re-signing him but about how much it may cost the Predators. 

Today Elliotte Friedman spoke with 102.5 The Game's Caroline, Willy, and DMase about Novak, and said he is hearing that the Predators are intending to sign Novak. The question may be more about the numbers. In his recent 32 Things post, Friedman pointed out that there are very few comparable across the league when it comes to landing on a number with Novak. 

Friedman speculated in his conversation with 102.5 The Game that Novak may be a case where the player would take less money for more term and perhaps a little assurance that his future will rest in a state with a beneficial tax situation. Novak has also been with the Predators organization since being drafted by David Poile in the third round of the 2015 NHL Draft, and that may make staying in Nashville a bit more appealing to Novak as well. 

If for some reason Trotz isn't ready to put together a deal with term for Novak, Friedman indicated that there is some interest around the league in the Minnesota native. As a player who can score and who still may have more to his game than he's shown so far, he could be a piece other teams inquire about. 

For now, Predators fans will have to wait to see what happens with Novak's future with the franchise.